The Second Story Man's Guild
by SmartassLeprechaun
Summary: The Second-Story Man's Guild is a band of orphaned thieves, pickpockets and miscreants, lead by the infamous Thief Lord. No one knows who they are, where they are, or where they'll strike next. No one... Except the Thief Lord's own brother.
1. Prologue

Heyyy. So. I don't own the rights to Newsies. Yeah!  
  
-The Second-Story Man's Guild  
  
Atop her tenet-top perch on the Eastern side of Manhattan sat the Thief Lord. Her eyes, bright and shining, even in the dark of the night, were focused intently on the streets below her. Her stare was blank and cruel, and she didn't even blink as she watched the streets for her prey.  
  
Anastasia Giometti was a wealthy woman of thirty-five. She lived alone in a three story building, housing millions of dollars inside. And she was the Guild's next target.  
  
With an inhale of excitement, the Thief Lord bit her lower lip as she spotted Miss Giometti walking alone to her Vienna Street home. She glanced to her right, then her left, receiving nods from the rest of her Guild, perched like her along the building tops. She smirked to herself as Miss Giometti entered her home, completely clueless as to what was waiting for her once she fell asleep.  
  
The Thief Lord was the unappointed leader of the Second-Story Man's Guild. No one in Manhattan knew that the troublesome Second-Story Man's Guild was really a bunch of teenage girls.  
  
No one, that is, except the Thief Lord's very own brother.  
  
-End Prologue-  
  
Alrighty! So, as you may understand, the Second-Story Man's Guild is a bunch of female thieves. They're led by the Thief Lord, a sixteen year old. Now. For the casting call, I only need about six, JUST SIX, girls. Some of them will be "getting together" with newsies, some will not. This won't be on a first-come, first-served basis; I'll be picking the most detailed, that'll best make the story good. So, yeah. Fill out this:  
  
Name:  
  
Guild Name: (Nickname)  
  
Looks: (Height, eyes, hair, etc.)  
  
Personality:  
  
Talents: (IE, picking locks, diverting attention, picking pockets, etc.)  
  
Newsie: (Three choices)  
  
Rank in Guild: (Long-time member, somewhat, newbie)  
  
Are you willing to get hurt?:  
  
Killed?:  
  
Background:  
  
Anything else:  
  
Now, keep in mind that no one knows who the Guild consists of. These girls are tough, sneaky, secretive girls that would risk their lives for the Guild. Yeah. So, there ya go! 


	2. Chapter 1

Alrighty! Thanks for your characters. Like I said, I can only use six, and these are who I picked; Miracle, Mayfly, Empress, Artemis, Kat and Milkshake. Now, I picked who I did because I think they'll be the most useful in parts of the story that I have in mind.

Though I would still like to use Sunshine, Kitty, Bookworm, Aqua and Nova as the younger kids in the Guild. The parts aren't as big as the other's, but they'd still be in it. Tell me how you feel about that. If you don't want your girl to be a young'in, (meaning from 6-12) just say so, and I won't use her.

-The Second-Story Man's Guild

Jack slowly walked over towards Racetrack, holding his papers in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He sat down next to Race on the bench, setting his papes down beside him. "So, Race, you hear about that Guild heist?" he asked, lighting up his cigarette.

Race laughed. "'Course I did Jackie, I sell the same papes you do," he said with a smirk, nudging him in the arm.

Jack smirked sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah..." He too a long drag on his cigarette, looking up at the building across they street. "Who ya think it is, ah?"

Race raised a brow. "Who?"

Jack shrugged. "The Second-Story Man's Guild. I think they're those bums from Tap Street..."

Race shook his head, sticking his feet out in front of him to get more comfortable. "Nah. I don't think they're from 'Hattan. I mean, why would they stick around where they prowl? I think they're from another borough... maybe even Jersey, who knows?"

Jack nodded, considering. "Yeah, maybe. Man, those guys must have some guts, ah? I mean, the bulls are gettin' pretty tight on their watches lately, and that Guild's been walkin' right under their noses..." He took another drag on his cigarette, blowing dark clouds of smoke into the air.

Race raised a brow at Jack. "You think they're brave?" Jack shrugged.

"They gotta be, ah? To tests the bulls like that?"

Race made a face, shaking his head. "I don't think they're brave. I think they're cowards."

Jack looked at Race, a confused expression on his face. "What makes ya say that?"

Race lit up a cigar and stood from the bench, looking down at Jack. He took a long, lengthy drag from his cigar and let it out with a long sigh. He shrugged slowly, picking up his remaining papes from the bench. "I dunno, Jack." Then, without another word, he turned and headed off down the street, leaving Jack behind holding an odd expression.

-Down the street a ways, heh, in Brooklyn...-

"Please, sir. This was my mommy's ring. It was the nicest thing she owned. And... since she died... I have to sell it... so me and my baby brother can have some money for food. Please, sir..."

The clerk at the pawn shop looked down sympathetically at the seven-year-old girl in front of him. He heaved a heavy sigh, then opened up the cash register, pulling out ten dollars. The little girls eyes brightened. "Thank you sir!" she said as she took the money, then scurried out of the shop, her dark eyes still glowing. Her smile soon turned into a smirk as she headed down the street, holding the ten dollars tightly in her hand.

A few blocks down, three more girls were waiting for her. One, the tallest, had a wide grin on her face. Her long dark hair waved as the soft breeze played through it, and her dark eyes were alive with excitement behind her thin glasses. She stood as though antsy, waiting for the young girl to reach her. "So... what'd you make...?!" she asked as the girl reached them, doing a bad job of containing her excitement.

The small blonde smiled at her, pulling her hand out of her pocket. "Ten bucks!" she said, very proud.

The tall girl nodded. "Great job, Sunshine!" she said in a hushed voice. "The Thief Lord will be pleased."

The tall girl took the money, then led the four of them down the street a ways, and into an alley. They came out the end of it, then headed down another, twisting and turning down alley way after alley way. Finally, the four of them reached a rusted fire escape attached to a run down old tenement building. They climbed up and entered the building through a small window, filing into a small room with blankets and pillows strewn everywhere. Here and there, between the mess, were about seven or so girls of all ages, some in chairs reading, some on the floor playing games, others bundled up in blankets in a deep sleep. The four girls headed over to a small staircase, the tall one still leading the pack. She headed up right away, but stopped on the fourth step when she saw the other three weren't following. She turned and frowned at them. "What's the matter?" she asked, raising a brow at the girls.

They all looked around shyly. One of them, a short girl, (though taller than the other seven and nine-year-old,) blew her light brown hair out of her piercing green eyes and looked up at the tall girl. "Well, Mayfly... You know Massimo doesn't like being bothered before dinner..." she muttered, tracing the scars on her left arm with her right index finger. Mayfly made a face, as though she pitied the girl, then smirked at her.

"I don't think she'll mind if we bring her ten bucks, Milkshake. This is Sunshine's best bargain ever!" Sunshine smiled happily at being praised. Milkshake still seemed a bit reluctant, though followed Mayfly up the stairs. "And don't let her catch you calling her Massimo," Mayfly added quietly as she headed up the stairs.

The four of them entered a dim room, a bit smaller than the one below them. The floor of this room wasn't littered with blankets and such as the other one was; rather, there were many shelves and tables, with papers and bits of change strewn all about. There were no lights; the main light source in the room was the open sky roof above them, of which light was trying to pour into. No one was in the room.

"She must be up there..." the fourth girl said; she was a stiff-looking nine-year-old with fiery red hair and distrusting green eyes. She stood with the others, biting her lower lip in anticipation.

Milkshake nodded at her. "She's always on the roof, Kitty. Shall we go, then...?" she said to no one in particular, though looked over at Mayfly. Mayfly gave her a comforting smile and nodded.

Slowly, the four girls climbed one by one up the ladder to the roof. When they got up there, their eyes all focused on a figure in black cloak, sitting on the edge of the building, staring intently at the horizon.

Mayfly gave a soft cough. "Thief Lord..." she said quietly.

The Thief Lord slowly turned her head, focusing her vision instead on the four girls. Her eyes were enchanting; they were a bright, shining blue, that seemed to reflect the air around them into a silvery haze. Her hair was as black as night, blending in perfectly with the black hood around her head. She looked the girls over for a moment, then swung her feet over the side of the building, so that her entire body was facing them. "Yes?" Her voice was sharp and quiet, and sent and intimidating chill through the girl's spines.

Mayfly gave a slight smirk at the Thief Lord, then stepped ahead of the others. "Sunshine pawned that ring Kat pulled out of the house on Second Street. She made..." she pulled the money out of her pocket, "...ten dollars." She walked over to the Thief Lord and handed her the money, who took it with a nod. Mayfly stepped back with the others.

The Thief Lord looked over the money briefly, then looked back up at the girls. She stood slowly. She only stood at about 5'6, though she stood with such pride and posture, it made her look like a giant. She stuck the money into one of the many pockets of her cloak, then spoke again, still in the same icy voice. "Sunshine," she said, looking at the shaking blonde. From behind the darkness of the hood, Mayfly could spot a small smirk playing on the Thief Lord's lips. "Well done."

It was as though all four girls had been holding her breath, then exhaled quietly at those words. They all seemed to loosen up for the better.

The Thief Lord stepped towards the girls and patted Sunshine on the head. "Well done," she said again quietly. Sunshine smiled at her, then she and Kitty headed back down the ladder and out of sight. The three remaining girls looked at each other.

"I got a watch," Milkshake said to the other two, pulling a silver pocket watch from under her hat. "Nicked it off a an old man while he was buying a sausage. The fool didn't even see it coming..." She and Mayfly chuckled, and the Thief Lord smirked. She took the watch from Milkshake and examined it. She nodded.

"Nice quality. No dings... We should get at least five off it," she said, taking her hood off of her head. She smirked at Milkshake. "Nice job, Shakes." Only the Thief Lord was allowed to alter Guild names. Each one was acquired to each girl in various ways, though the Thief Lord held the right to giving her own. She stuck the watch into another pocket in her cloak and looked back at Milkshake. "You've been doing well lately."

Milkshake smiled. "Thank you. Artemis has been showing me a thing or two."

The Thief Lord nodded. "So I've heard." The Thief Lord knew all.

Milkshake nodded. "Yes. Well, thank you again... See you at dinner." With that, Milkshake turned and headed down the ladder, disappearing as the two young'ins had. Just the thief Lord and Mayfly were left.

Mayfly smirked at the Thief Lord. "You scare the shit out of them, Massimo. All of them," she said casually, sitting down on the side of the roof.

The Thief Lord smirked and walked over, sitting down beside her. "Good. They should fear me. If they don't, then they'll get sloppy. And we can't have that, can we?" she said with prestige. She pulled a box of matches and cigarettes from another pocket and lit one up, then handed one over to Mayfly.

"No thanks. Hey, did you see the 'Hattan paper today?" Mayfly asked, raising a brow at the Thief Lord, who smirked.

"No, I didn't. Why?" she asked, blowing a cloud of smoke into the dimming evening air.

Mayfly smirked at her. She pulled a copy of the paper out of her back pocket and opened it up, holding it out in front of the Thief Lord.

The Thief Lord read the headline over quickly, then laughed. "'Menacing Guild Terrorizes Widow'?" she said, smirking at Mayfly. Mayfly laughed as well.

"I thought you'd like that. I nicked that off a newsboy while he was tyin' his shoe..." She leaned back on the roof, stretching her legs.

Mayfly was the oldest member of the Second-Story Man's Guild; aside from the Thief Lord. She and the Thief Lord met by chance one day on a street Queens when they were both just twelve years old; Mayfly had been trying to pick the Thief Lord's pocket, who caught her and threatened her life. Of course, she didn't kill her. She merely took her to her home; a broken down tenet in the slums of Brooklyn. The Thief Lord taught Mayfly the trade that is thieving. It was Mayfly's idea, a year later, to take in other strays of the city and form some sort of cult. The Thief Lord came up with the name the Second-Story Man's Guild, since they mostly stole from the upper windows of buildings, sneaking in and out with stealth. The two spread around word of the Guild, and soon it became some terrorizing gang wanted by every cop in the city. Since the very first day they met, Mayfly and the Thief Lord have been the best of friends.

The Thief Lord nodded, then rolled up the paper and stuck it under her arm. She let out another cloud of smoke, then extinguished the cigarette on the rooftop. "We should get downstairs, Ashleigh. It's about dinner time, those girls are gonna be antsy..."

Mayfly smirked and stood, wiping the dirt off her pants as she headed over to the ladder.

"Oh, and Ashleigh?" the Thief Lord said from behind Mayfly.

"Yeah, Massimo?" she said, turning to face her.

The Thief Lord smirked. "Don't call me Massimo."

Mayfly smirked back at her. "Don't call me Ashleigh."

-End Chapter 1-

Yeah, I think that's a good place to end. I know it's short, but if I keep writing, I'll have nothing for the next chapter... Obviously, I didn't get you all in yet. I will! That's another reason I made this one so short; it was mostly about Mayfly... I'm going to try to give each girl a significant chunk of chapter. Heh. Yeah! So, review!


	3. Chapter 2

Yeah! I'm listening to Starting Line right now, and it got me in a oober good mood, so I decided to write the nest chapter... yay... Yeah, sorry it took so long, but I can only write stories on my mom's laptop, and she takes it to work every day, and lately she's been working double sifts, so I haven't been able to get on it much... so... yeah, there's my life story for ya. Heh.  
  
Ah! Story.  
  
-The Second-Story Man's Guild  
  
Mayfly and the Thief Lord climbed down the ladder and landed in the Thief Lord's room. Mayfly continued down the stairs, but the Thief Lord stayed back.  
  
When Mayfly was gone, the Thief Lord walked over to the crumbling fireplace in the far side of the wall. She reached up into it with her strong arm and felt around a bit, then pulled out a small box, that had apparently been sitting on a small hidden cupboard in the chimney.  
  
The Thief Lord wore and odd expression on her face. It was a mix of hesitation, worry, and excitement all in one.  
  
Moving quietly, she walked over to a desk near the fireplace and set down the newspaper Mayfly had given her, and then the box. She opened it slowly.  
  
Inside the box were many clippings and photos. Some of the clippings were well aged, others were fresh. The Thief Lord shuffled through them gently, stopping every now and then to look at a few.  
  
She pulled out a photo from the bottom of the pile and brought it into the light slowly, biting her lower lip as she looked at it. It was a picture of a young girl, about seven, holding the hand of an older boy that looked much like the girl. The Thief Lord looked it over for a moment.  
  
"Thief Lord..."  
  
The voice brought her out of her dream like state and she quickly put the photo back into the box.  
  
"One moment," she called to the voice, placing the new newspaper into the box as well. She took the box over to the fireplace and put it back on its shelf, then headed over to the staircase. "I'm coming, Kat," she said to the girl at the bottom of the stairs as she headed down.  
  
When she reached the last step, she stopped with her hand on the railing and looked into the room. All eleven members of the Guild were sitting in chairs and on the floor, holding small plates with potato salad and a piece of bread. The Thief Lord watched them for a second, then pulled her black hood over her head again, concealing her smirk from them all.  
  
All eleven of the girls looked up upon her arrival. The younger ones stared, not moving, and one of them even tried to conceal a gulp. Milkshake nodded at her and said, "Good evening, Thief Lord."  
  
The Thief Lord nodded back at her, and all of them went back to their meals.  
  
Kat, a short seventeen year old with long, curly dark hair and light blue eyes, stood next to the Thief Lord on the stairs. She had two plates of food in her hands, and handed the one in the right hand over to the Thief Lord slowly. "Empress got the food today," she said in a hushed voice, speaking only to the Thief Lord. "She took it from Mano's Diner, so we shouldn't hit that place for another week or so." She sat down on the step and began eating.  
  
The Thief Lord sat down next to her and started eating as well, keeping her hood over her head. She nodded slowly, glancing over at Kat. "Sunshine pawned your ring," she said in her same, cold voice.  
  
Kat nodded. "Nova told me. Ten bucks, right?" She bit into her bread as she looked sideways at the Thief Lord.  
  
The Thief Lord nodded. She pulled her hood back down off her head and looked at Kat.  
  
Kat was the first official member of the Guild after it was created by the Thief Lord and Mayfly. She came from a middle-class family in Manhattan, and joined ranks with the Guild after her parents died when she was twelve. She was the most educated of all the members, and did most of the planning and scheming for the Guild's major heists. She worked well alongside the Thief Lord in that sense.  
  
The Thief Lord finished off her bread and looked at Kat. "Look, I was planning on hitting the Callahan apartment in two days," she said quietly.  
  
Kat nodded slightly, not looking away from her food. "That in 'Hattan?" she said in the same quiet tone.  
  
"Of course," the Thief Lord said sharply.  
  
Kat nodded again. "Who you taking?"  
  
The Thief Lord thought for a moment, picking at her food. "You and Artemis. Maybe Shakes and... Miracle too," she said slowly.  
  
Kat glanced over at Miracle. She was a short, brown-eyed girl with long red and black hair covered loosely by a black cap. Miracle was the newest member of the Guild. No one really knew much about her; she pretty much kept to herself. The only hint of her past came from when she spoke; she has a subtle Irish accent. Kat eyed her for a moment, then looked at the Thief Lord.  
  
"You think she's ready?" she asked, raising a brow at her.  
  
The Thief Lord glanced at Miracle, then shrugged at Kat. "Not quite sure. But how else will we know unless... we get her in on a heist." She finished off the rest of her food and set the plate down on the step above her, looking around at the other girls.  
  
Kat shrugged. "I dunno, Thief Lord. I don't trust her..."  
  
The Thief Lord looked over at Kat, a brow raised. "O'Bryan..." she said, using Kat's last name, "...I don't trust -anyone-."  
  
-Back in 'Hattan...-  
  
Mush sat on his bunk in the Lodging House, staring out the dingy window to the fire escape. He was the only one in there at the time; everyone else was still out selling the evening edition. Mush had decided not to sell it today, because he'd sprained his wrist in a bad fall while he and the other guys were heading to Tibby's for lunch after the morning edition. So, instead, he sat wringing his right wrist with his left hand, his feet swinging above the bunk under his as he watched the bugs correlate around the light on the building next to the LH. After a few minutes of watching, he sighed out of boredom and hopped off his bunk, hitting the floor with a thud.  
  
Looking around the room for some form of entertainment, he spotted one of the day's papers sitting on a bunk near the door. He sighed and walked over, picking it up and skimming it over. Sure, he'd sold the same paper that morning, but he hadn't actually -read- it. He shook his head slightly, a small smirk on his face. "That Guild... What a bunch of gits," he muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. He tossed the paper down on the bunk and walked over to his bunk again, sitting down on the empty one beneath his.  
  
No sooner had he sat down then Spot Conlon entered the room, leaning lazily on the doorframe.  
  
Mush looked over at him, a brow raised. "What're you doin' here, Conlon?" he asked, standing up and looked at him.  
  
Spot pulled his cap off his head and hung it on the slingshot in his back pocket. "What, not happy to see me, Mushy?" he said with a cocky smirk, walking over to one of the bunks and sitting down.  
  
Mush rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Surprised, I guess. It's not often you come to 'Hattan." He took his wrist in his hand again and began wringing it, biting his lower lip.  
  
Spot shrugged. "Well, Race asked me to come. Said he made some extra money at the track a few days ago, wanted to make some more with a poker game..."  
  
Mush nodded. He looked around the room, feeling a bit awkward, alone, with the King of Brooklyn.  
  
Spot lit up a cigarette and nodded at Mush. "So tell me. Why ain't you out sellin'?" he asked.  
  
Mush glanced at his wrist with a shrug. "Sprained it." Right after he said that, Jack, Race, Kid Blink and Skittery entered the room, laughing and talking about random things. Spot stood and walked over to Racetrack, and the two immediately exchanged spitshakes. Jack was next after Race. Blink and Skittery both said their hellos, and walked over to Mush.  
  
"How are ya, pal?" Blink asked with a smirk.  
  
Mush rolled his eyes. "Shaddap, Blink..."  
  
"Say, Skitts, you ever seen anyone sprain their wrist while stepping onto a curb before?" Blink asked with mock in his voice.  
  
Skittery laughed. "Never before, Blink, why do you ask?" he said, playing along.  
  
"Shut it, guys..." Mush mumbled, rolling his eyes.  
  
Blink took Mush into a headlock. "Why, because out own Mushy here put on quite the performance out front of the bank today!" he said with a laugh, rubbing Mush's head with his fist. He let him go and the three of them laughed, shaking their heads at Mush's expense.  
  
Race, Jack and Spot pulled a few chairs up to a table in the middle of the room and sat down as a few more people joined their playing, including Blink and Skittery. Mush sat in a chair behind Blink; he wasn't really into playing in his current condition.  
  
"So, I hear you guys have really been getting played by those Second-Story Men, ah?" Spot said as he looked down at his cards, a brow raised.  
  
Jack nodded, blowing smoke from a cigarette into the already smokey air. "Race think's they're from Brooklyn."  
  
Race scoffed. "I didn't say Brooklyn," he said, kicking Jack from under the table.  
  
"Ow!" Specs shouted, glaring around the table.  
  
"Oh, sorry Specs," Race said meekly.  
  
"What makes you think they're from Brooklyn?" Spot said accusingly, raising a brow at Racetrack.  
  
Race sighed. "I never said Brooklyn; I just said I don't think they're from 'Hattan."  
  
Dutchy raised a brow at Race, mush like the rest of the guys were. "Why's that?"  
  
Race shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, the richest people live in 'Hattan, so sure, they'd prowl here, but... live here? I just don't think they do." He looked around the table, seeing all eyes focused on him. He shook his head, setting down his hands. "Look, can we just get back to the game, ah?" he said forcefully, looking around at them all.  
  
They all shrugged, looking back to their cards and continuing the game. Mush, however, watched Race.  
  
After about three hours, Race had won two bucks, Spot one twenty-five, and the rest had lost it all. Spot decided to stay the night in Manhattan, since the next day was Sunday and it took about an hour and a half walk to get back to Brooklyn. All the guys began to hit the hay, Spot taking the empty bunk under Jack. Mush saw Racetrack sneak into the washroom alone, and followed him in slowly.  
  
He saw Race over a sink, washing his face with cold water. Mush stuck his left hand in his pocket and looked at Race wearily. "Say, Race..." he said quietly.  
  
Racetrack looked over at Mush, wiping his hands off with a cloth. "Yeah?"  
  
Mush looked at Racetrack's feet. "Do you know something? About that Guild?" he asked slowly, glancing behind him to make sure no one was watching.  
  
Race stared at Mush for a second, as though considering. Then, after a few seconds, he looked away, wiping off his face. "Of course not. I just know what I read in the papers, same as you, Mush," he said bluntly.  
  
Mush bit his lower lip. "Oh..." he mumbled. "Oh, alright. Just wondering..." Race didn't look back at him. With a sigh, Mush gave Race one last glance before leaving the washroom, heading over to his bunk.  
  
When Race knew Mush was gone he turned, looking at where he had just been. He gave a long, heavy sigh, shaking his head. "I know more than you think, Mush."  
  
-End Chapter 2-  
  
Well! There's chapter two. Yeah. For some reason, I like this chapter... It makes me like Racetrack and awful lot. Heh.  
  
Shout outs!  
  
Dimonah- Great! I'm glad you're cool with it. Glad you liked the chapter!  
  
C.M.- Danke! Glad you liked it. I love the name Massimo... even though it's a guys name, heh... That's the Thief Lord for ya.  
  
Sita- Heh, gotta love those alter egos. The Perks of Being a Wallflower... My therapist told me I should check that book out. I couldn't find it anywhere... I'll have to though. I wanna read it now. Glad you liked the chapter!  
  
Lucky- Thanks! Glad you're Ok with it. Thanks!  
  
Laces- Thanks! Heh, I was always mistaken for older. When I was thirteen, someone said I looked eighteen. I think they were exaggerating. I'm almost seventeen as of now, and I look my age. Ah! Off topic. Glad you like it!  
  
Miracle- Ha, that made me laugh, you goober. Glad you like it.  
  
Dreamer- Ooo, yeah, Race IS suspicious... heh... Yeah, I love the Thief Lord's character. She's neat.  
Serena- You're welcome! Her brother... heh... There's no real reason behind Lord; just the same as the name of the Guild. They don't want people suspicious of all the girl's pawning and stuff. Heh.  
  
Sparks- Thanks! Glad you're cool with it. I wish I could have made all of them older, but see, I need a few young'ins for 'puss', as Jack would say, and then the ones I picked for older I have ideas for, to work into the story. So, yeah. Heh.  
  
Daydream- I love camping! How was it? Heh, glad you like it!  
  
Wow, I sure do say "glad you like it" an awful lot... heh... Review! 


	4. Chapter 3

Ah! I know it's been long. But I'm in a slump... And this is my attempt at getting out of it. I really hope it works, because I love this story, and I don't want it to end so soon. Ah. Alright, then.

-The Second-Story Man's Guild

Artemis wasn't really much of a morning person. She woke slowly, glaring at Aqua and Nova, two of the young'ins. They were running around the mess of girls on the floor, laughing and talking loudly as they played.

Artemis was muscular sixteen-year-old with choppy, dark brown hair and gray, almond-shaped eyes. She stood at about 5'5, a bit taller than the other girls in the Guild. Artemis was another one of the oldest members of the Guild. She'd met the Kat on a crowded street in the Bronx about two years ago, and Kat took her to the Thief Lord straight away. Artemis was the best pick pocket out of the whole Guild, only second to the Thief Lord.

Holding herself up on her elbows, Artemis scanned the brightening room. To her left sat Mayfly, still sound asleep despite the noise. To her right was a mess brownish red hair, with one green eye scanning the room. Artemis smirked.

"Have a good night, Empress?"

The mess of hair looked over at Artemis. Slowly, Empress pulled her long hair back into a pony-tail, groaning at Artemis.

Empress was a newer member of the Guild, though her and Artemis had instantly become friends. Empress Had a bit more education than some of the other Guild members, which meant that she knew how to read and write. She didn't much like to talk about her past. She would often times be seen writing letters to people, but no one knew, or even bothered asking who they were for.

Milkshake crossed the room and sat down beside Mayfly, nudging her with her hand. "Wake up, you," she mumbled.

Mayfly looked up at Milkshake with sudden wide-eyes and sat up. "Sleep well, ladies?" she asked the other three, smirking at them.

Kat threw her pillow at Mayfly from the other side of the room.

After a few laughs, the girls tossed their blankets and pillows to the side as they changed for the day. Milkshake walked over to Miracle and pocked her in the side. "You wanna go out together today?" she asked, raising a brow.

Miracle swatted her hand away. "Don't poke me," she said, kicking her blanket away.

Milkshake glared at Miracle. "What the Hell is your problem?" she said loudly, causing the other girls the look over at the two.

Miracle straightened up, facing Milkshake. "I just said, don't poke me. So don't."

Artemis could see the fury building up in the two girl's faces. She walked over and stepped in between them, her eyebrows low in all seriousness. "Hey, you two need to cut it out," she said, looking from one girl to the other.

Miracle scoffed at Artemis. "Oh, shut up, Little Miss Can't-We-All-Just-Get-Along." She turned, heading out the window and down the fire escape.

Milkshake made a move to attack her, though Artemis held her back. "Milkshake, just let her go. Forget about her," she said, shaking her head, though she gave Miracle a quick glare as she left.

The young'ins seemed frozen in fear. They stared at Artemis and Milkshake, as though expecting the two of them to start fighting. Mayfly smirked and walked over to them, patting them on the head and talking cheerily to them all.

The other four girls finished getting around, then headed over to the window. Just as the first pair, Kat and Mayfly, started heading out the window, the Thief Lord walked down the stairs, and everyone looked over at her. "Where's Miracle," she said at once, scanning her eyes over the group of girls.

Mayfly sighed. "She and Milkshake had a row. She stormed out about ten minutes ago."

The Thief Lord's eyes landed on a somewhat scared-looking Milkshake, who bit her lower lip as she looked back. "What about?" the Thief Lord asked, raising a brow at her.

Milkshake shrugged. "I asked her to pick with me. She snapped cause I poked her..." she mumbled, looking at her hands.

The Thief Lord nodded. "You're not going picking today," she said, stepping off the stairs and onto the floor. "Any of you." The girls looked confused.

"Wha... why not?" Empress asked as they all moved more into the room, away from the window.

The Thief Lord paused for a moment. "I'm going to meet someone. And I want you all to stay here, in the Appartamento," she said, referring to their 'code name' fo their tenet.

All the girls stared at her. Then, finally, "Who're you meeting?" Artemis asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"A friend of mine," uttered the Thief Lord, pulling her hood over her head.

"Where?" Kat asked.

The Thief Lord thought for a moment, as though reluctant to tell them. Then she said, very quietly, "Central Park."

All five of the younger girls let out pouts at the thought of staying in all day while the Thief Lord was at a park, though they stopped abruptly when the Thief Lord glared.

"Thief Lord..." Mayfly said quietly, walking over to the Thief Lord. "Massimo, they haven't had fun in a long time. The park would be good for them..." she whispered, glancing over at the younger ones. "There's six of us; one can watch over them. We can't keep 'em locked up in here."

The Thief Lord looked at Mayfly, considering. She looked over at the girls, who were watching her expectantly. She sighed, looking back at Mayfly. "Fine. You take them to the park in three hours time," she said, and the girls let out excited cheers. "But you all better stay unnoticed. And you better not come near me at all if you see me. And you'd _better _stop calling me Massimo," she hissed at Mayfly.

Mayfly stood, slightly taken aback. The Thief Lord have never spoken to her so sternly before. It was a bit unnerving. Mayfly shrugged it off and walked over to the others, nodding to them.

The Thief Lord walked over as well. She stepped out of the window and looked back at the girls. "Remember, don't leave for another three hours." She pulled a mask out of her cloak and pulled it ofer her face, making her look like a great black bird. And with that, she made her way down the fire escape and out of sight.

Kat glanced over at Mayfly. "Boy, she sure is acting strange lately..." she said, biting her lip.

Mayfly nodded. "Yeah..."

-Back in 'Hattan...-

All the boys stood in the Lodging House, saying good-bye to Spot, who was getting ready to head back to Brooklyn.

"Hey, don't worry fellas, I'll be back next week to take s'more of your money," he said with a smirk as he headed out of the Lodging House. The guys laughed and waved, then headed back into the Lodging House as he left.

On his way to Brooklyn, Spot suddenly remembered something. "Oh, shit... I'm supposed to meet Daft in Central Park..." he thought aloud, turning down a street and heading towards the park.

When he reached the park, some ten minutes later, he walked over to a bench near a boulder, his hand fondling the change in his pocket happily. He looked around the park, waiting.

Finally, Daft showed up.

Daft was a we'll build seventeen-year-old, standing at about 5'8. He had shaggy black hair and bright green eyes, and a cocky smirk much like Spot's that played on his face constantly.

He had with him three other guys that went by the names Slightly, Crusoe and Sometimes.

Slighty was Daft's twin brother, though the didn't look much alike. Slighty was small, only standing at about 5'6, with gray eyes rather than green and short, sleek black hair.

Crusoe was a tall blonde with dark brown eyes and a thin build. His eyes were focused and intense, and he looked as though he could see right through you.

Sometimes had the same shape as Daft, with thick brown hair and dark skin. His eyes were a deep brown, they almost looked black. He had an intimidating stance that made him look rather frightening.

These boys were not newsies. They, along with about five other guys, made up the Wilkins Clan. The Wilkins Clan were the guys you went you needed forceful help, in any situation. They were tough and intimidating, and were not ones you wanted to cross.

Spot stood from the bench and spit into his hand, shaking it with Daft's. He then rested his hand on his cane, eyeing the four boys. "So, whatcha want, Dafty?" he asked with a smirk, raising a brow at Daft.

Daft smirked back at him. "Me an' the guys conspired, and we all agreed that we need your assistance today," he said slowly. Daft had a thick British accent, though it'd been roughened up by living in New York. Spot had to contain a laugh every time he heard Daft speak; it was so foreign to him.

"With what?" Spot asked, already interested.

Daft looked back at the other guys and nodded. They nodded back, then left in opposite ways, heading down the sidewalk and out of sight. Daft walked over to the bench and sat, motioning for Spot to do the same. He pulled out two cigarettes and handed one to Spot, taking his time in lighting them.

Finally, he spoke again.

"I've got a business deal with this guy. Calls himself the Thief Lord." Daft shrugged, rolling his eyes at Spot's smirk. "Yeah. Anyway, this guy wants me and the Clan to keep watch on someone."

Spot raised a brow at Daft. "Who?"

"Racetrack Higgins," Daft said, blowing smoke into the air.

Spot made a face. "What's he want with Race?"

Daft shrugged. "He's letting me know today. Anyway–" he took a quick puff, "he says he'll pay handsomely. But see..."

Spot knew where this was going. "'Hattan hasn't let you into their Lodging House since Sometimes stabbed Blink in the eye three years ago..."

Daft nodded slowly. "They know who every member of the Clan is." He blew out some more smoke. "So, that's where you come in."

Spot looked over at Daft, thinking.

"You're a good friend of mine, Spot. You know that you've always got a place in my Clan if anything were to happen to your position as the King of Brooklyn." Spot smirked at this, while Daft rolled his eyes with a grin.

"So... what, you want me to just, spend a week or so in 'Hattan, watching Racetrack?" he raised a brow at Daft, who shrugged.

"More or less. We're willing to pay you two thirds of what this guy gives us."

Spot bit his lower lip, nodding slowly. "I see..."

Daft bit his own lip, smirking slightly at Spot. "So... will ya do it?"

Spot looked at Daft, still thinking. After about a minute, he nodded slowly, a smirk spreading across his face. "Yeah, I'll do it."

Daft smirked. "Excellent." He extinguished his cigarette standing up. "You can head back to Brooklyn for now. After I meet this Thief Lord, I'll catch up with you at the Lodging House and let you know all the details. Then we'll get you over to Brooklyn." He looked around.

Spot nodded. "Alright. See you soon, then, Daft," he said. They exchanged another spit-shake and then he headed off, making the long trek back to Brooklyn.

Daft sat down on the bench again and lit up another cigarette, waiting.

Spot headed down the street, his hands in his pockets as he ran over everything that had just happened. He was going to spy on one of his friends for money... Funny thing is, he didn't feel bad. "Just another day of being a Brooklynite," he though with a smirk, looking around.

To his right, he noticed a figure in black heading down the street in the opposite direction. The figure wore a mask over it's face, with a long beak-like nose and a dark luster. Spot raised a brow at it, watching it for a moment, then shook his head, continuing down the street.

-End Chapter 3-

Alright! I know that was short, and seemed a bit unimportant, but now I have the characters explained and whatnot, and I can just use their names without having to tell all about them... So, yeah. It sucked. Heh.

Shouts!

C.M.- Heh heh heh... Race DOES know something... But what?! Mwahaha.

Daydream- Awesome! I never go camping... I used to with my friend Chela, but she stopped going. Heh, me and my other friend Jeebes went camping in her yard a few weeks ago, that was mundo funo. Heh. I don't think I update fast... but I know what you mean... It's just so hard to think of things to write! I really hope this gets me out of the slump. Heh.

Lucky- Could be! And as for Mush... Could be! Heh.

Rach- Git! I'm in love with the British. Heh. So I made Mush a bit British. HA! I don't mind having it spouted back at me... heh.

Miracle- Goooober. Ha, that's so weird... I call my friend Jeebes SCHNITZEL! How ironic.

Dreamer- Ha, yeah, Mush is cute. That was the only way I could see doing it, splitting 'em up... But, what's this!??! They're coming together! Oh yeah, oh yeah. Heh.

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try to write more as soon as I can.


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